Staying/Biking in Liguria Italy

Old Dec 25th, 2015, 01:12 PM
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Staying/Biking in Liguria Italy

Hello,
We are travelling to Liguria in the spring, and I'm thinking of staying in Santa Margherita, for a few reasons: smallish seaside town, good public transportation to various towns along the coast, easy access to Genoa for city time, and proximity to natural hiking and cycling areas. Here is my question: We want to be away from traffic, and do some coastal biking (I know about the SanRemo bike route). Would SML be a good base in your opinion? I know there is mountain biking from Finale Ligure, and I think that would be ok, too, but I'd prefer coastal biking (senza automobili!). What are your thoughts on SML for this purpose? Biking is not the number one priority for me, for others in my party, it would be a treat.

Also, I've been looking for a hotel in the pedestrian zone, but am only seeing them in the pedestrian "area". Any suggestions for a quiet hotel would be appreciated.

I've considered Rapallo, too, but it may be too small. Thoughts?

Thank you
Calabria62 is offline  
Old Dec 25th, 2015, 04:46 PM
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I am not cyclist but a few things:

Santa Margherita Ligure is VERY far from San Remo. So if that bike route is on the wish list, then you need to move much closer to San Remo.

It sounds like you might have an inccorrect picture of the Ligurian coast. For very long stretches of it, there is no road right at the sea. The shoreline is too rocky and cliff-like. For long stretches, the train is at the seaside, not anyplace you could ride a bike. Where there is a road, you would be sharing it with cars or, where there are no cars, it is all pedestrianized for walkers, and you are not allowed to ride your bike.

There may be coastal areas where cyclists are very welcome, but not being a cyclist, I can't identify them for you. Maybe someone else here can, however.

In the meantime, I can only make 2 suggestions:

One is that you post your question on the TripAdvisor forum for Liguria, but do it a bit after Jan 6 so that Italians who post on that forum might see it (they are probably busy with holiday celebraton).

The other is that you try to contact cycling clubs in Europe, in particular people who take an interest in the Italian "Giro" and some of the cycling events that happen along the coast in Spring. Or do many google searches for "cycling Italian Riviera" or "cycling Liguria". You might find lots of blogs of people who have done this.

Also, just so you know, Rapallo is bigger than Santa Margherita Ligure, and livelier too year-round, which includes being livelier in the spring. If you want a quiet hotel, you should read reviews on Booking.com or Tripadvisor.

I believe the SP31 road between Rapallo and San Rocco di Camogli is a popular biking route. It has high elevation with lovely views of the sea in many places, but I am not sure.
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Old Dec 25th, 2015, 05:56 PM
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Thank you Sandralist for your advice. Good to know about SanRemo...I knew it wasn't close, but thought it was only about an hour or so from SML by train.

Also, good to know about Rapallo, for some reason I thought it was smaller and more village-like, than Santa Margherita.

I will look into San Rocco di Camogli, and investigate your other suggestions,too.

Thanks again.
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Old Dec 25th, 2015, 06:08 PM
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You're welcome, but it appears from your repsonse that my post was confusingly written regarding San Rocco di Camogli.

SP3` is a long flat elevated road between Rapallo and San Rocco di Camogli -- which is a tiny village. It is far away from the nearest train station, and there are very few places to stay or eat. So it is not practical as a "base" for visiting Genova, etc. if that is what you thought I meant. But Rapallo would be a good base, and your cycling friends can take a day to go to San Rocco di Camogli (you can meet them there later by taking a bus from Rapallo, also a pretty ride).
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Old Dec 25th, 2015, 11:45 PM
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I fully second Sandralist; biking in this area is better in the mountainous hinterland than close to the coast.
Sta Margherita Ligure - San Remo: 3 1/2 hrs by train.
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Old Dec 28th, 2015, 02:47 PM
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Thank you both for your suggestions, Rapallo looks like it might be best.
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